Accreditation Report University of Hamburg (Aarhus University
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Accreditation report University of Hamburg (Aarhus University) „Journalism, Media and Globalisation“ (M.A.) (joint degree) I Procedure Previous Accreditation: July 13th 2010 through: ZEvA, until: September 30th 2015; preliminary accreditation through ACQUIN: September 30th 2016 Date of Contract: January 27th 2015 Receipt of self-evaluation report: July 22nd, 2015 Date of the on-site visit: January 12th/13th 2016 Standing Expert Committee: Humanities, Philologies and Cultural Studies Attendance by the ACQUIN Office: Tobias Auberger Decisions of the Accreditation Commission: March 30th 2015 Members of the Peer Group: Prof. Dr. Margreth Lünenborg, FU Berlin, Institute for Media and Communication Thomas Morawski, Austrian Broadcasting Service Prof. Dr. Lars Rinsdorf, Stuttgart Media University Winja Weber, University of Erfurt Datum der Veröffentlichung: Datum The Evaluation report of the peer group is based on the self-evaluation report of the HEI and extensive discussions with the heads of the study programmes, staff representatives, students and employers. The reviewers thank the organisers and the participating teachers and students of the on-site visit in Hamburg that they were available for the discussions and have been prepared to provide information on programmes and university. Evaluation Criteria have been the “criteria for accreditation of study programs” by the German Accreditation Council in the actual official version. At the same time the national context, partic- ularly the national rules regulating the establishment of study programmes, has been taken into account. 2 II Introduction 1 Short profile of the University of Hamburg The University of Hamburg was founded in 1919. With around 40,000 students, it is one of the largest universities in Germany. In order to comply with the Bologna process, the university has changed their courses to the two-cycle Bachelor/Master model in the winter semester 2005/2006. Since 2013, the University of Hamburg is divided into the following eight faculties: Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of mathematics, computer science and natural sci-ences, Faculty of Psychol- ogy and Sports Science, Faculty of Business Administration. Together, these faculties offer 170 study programs. 2 The program and its framework The advanced master's degree program is offered in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus pro- gram as a joint degree by the University of Hamburg and Aarhus University. It comprises four semesters in which the students earn 120 ECTS points; the degree awarded is that of a Master of Arts. The Aarhus University additionally offers this program in cooperation with the University of Am- sterdam, the City University London and the University of Swansea. The parts of the study program which are offered by the Aarhus University are the same in all these variants. The study program in cooperation with the University of Amsterdam has been assessed by Cer- tiked VBI in 2015. Based on the agreement of the German Accreditation Council with the Dutch NVAO for the accreditation of Joint Programmes these assessment results are taken into account in the evaluation of the study program at the University of Hamburg. 3 Results of the first accreditation The Master program “Journalism, Media and Globalisation” (M.A.) at the University of Hamburg was accredited on July 13th 2010 by ZEvA. 3 III Evaluation 1 Targets of the Higher Education Institutions and the Study Program The M.A. program addresses students worldwide with a Bachelor degree not focusing a specific field of academic expertise (non-consecutive), but requiring an at least three months period of professional activity in the field of journalism. The master’s program is run together with four academic institutions (University of Arhus, City University London, University of Amsterdam, Swansea University) as a joint degree program. The second year of graduate study in Hamburg is following the introduction year in Arhus, DK. Thus the accreditation of the Hamburg part has to focus the 2nd year study in Hamburg, but evaluates as well the interaction and fitting with the first year in Arhus. The Hamburg part of the program is focused on connecting journalism and communication stud- ies. Generally speaking the programme aims at qualifying journalists in research oriented special- ization in transcultural and global media research with practical opportunities of applying this knowledge in editorial work. Joining theory and professional practice in one programme is a com- prehensive task. Therefore the main challenge is to implement a dual training which combines research-oriented and practical training. The defined target is preparing the candidates for both fields of journalism and social science researches. The program is neither meant to be a vocational training, nor hands-on journalism training. The overall aim of embedding the study into the global issue is mainly ensured by the openness for a broad variety of nationalities of the students which has been successfully realized. The conditions of Hamburg University as an international university with a couple of programmes in English language contribute to that in a positive way. A study program of multi-cultural perspectives seems to be quite unique in Germany. The aim of the Eras- mus Mundus program of preparing students for gaining competences in methods and research in social sciences is far from any doubt. It is as well out of any serious discussion that the university is well prepared for these challenges; staff, structures and equipment are satisfyingly prepared. But as it is not known very much about the career paths of the candidates and alumni. The strategy of adhering students without a longer practical experience from the study programme and trying to keep them for the academia itself is understandable, but of some risk; especially in the per- spective of future labour markets and in the light of growing digitalization. In addition to that it may be useful to look at the rapidly changing market of journalism itself, including symptoms of de-professionalization and “entertainization”. There is of course no basic solution for the dilemma named above. The target of producing candidates with not only expertise in Social Sciences is well explicated, the same – last but not least - are communicative competences which are trained in the program in different steps. Frequent presentations on a level that should be understandable for non-experts 4 arev also part of the programme. Basic information of the central targets of the program and curriculum are clear and openly accessible. In this regard the recommendations and conditions of the first accreditation were fully met. Whether the reflection on the labour market, its demands and employment areas is part of the program cannot be assessed but is recommended. Digitali- zation and Datafication are main driving forces for change of societies and journalistic work and may be focused in the curriculum. One of the changes is seen in a growing co-operation by re- searchers and journalists working in international networks being established by journalists them- selves (see e.g. NDR Hamburg and iIIRG International Investigative Interviewing Research Group). 2 Concept of the Study Program 2.1 Concept of the study program The study program reflects adequately the objectives of the joint master. The first year in Arhus comprises the modules “Reporting Global Change”, “Globalisation and World Order”, “Globalisation, Culture, and the Roles of the Media” as well as “Social Sciences Methods for Journalists”, “Researching Journalism” and “Analytical Journalism”. During the year in Hamburg the students have to participate successfully in four modules: the modules “Media Systems and Journalism Cultures in an International Comparative Perspective”, “Processes of Transcultural Communication” and “Researching Journalism and Communication” in the third semester and the “Finale Module” in the last semester. Perspectives of comparative media analysis and research – using the nation state or the national media system as a starting point – are complemented with transcultural analytic perspectives looking at processes of globalization within each national or cultural framework. The introductory courses on methods and methodology taught in Arhus are followed up by research oriented classes where selected methods are applied in joint research projects of journalism studies. Though most of the classes are obligatory students with German language competences have the opportunity to participate in other classes of the German Master’s program. The English speaking students can choose between intense classes in German language or professional internships, as well as select classes working on practical application of globalization issues in local or regional reporting. The combination of clearly research oriented specialization in transcultural and global media research with practical opportunities of applying this knowledge in editorial work (multimedia storytelling) has to be highlighted. The need for teamwork is trained in these practical classes as well as in research oriented modules. The 3rd module (Researching Journalism) serves as a preparation for the writing of the Master’s thesis during the 4th semester. Having social scientists from media and communication studies as well as political science being involved in teaching and 5 supervision offers the students